Let’s just set the record straight… When it’s Halloween time, no one wants to schedule a wisdom tooth extraction so close to candy day! However, there may be those times that you cannot avoid the inevitable. And unfortunately for those who do receive this oral procedure, there are a lot of ghoulish goodies and dastardly drinks that you’ll have to avoid temporarily.
However, before we provide the 411 on the foods and drinks you should avoid after having a wisdom tooth extraction,  here’s a helpful tip: If you have a tooth pulled around Halloween time, simply save your treats and enjoy your favorite things after your mouth heals. At the same time, always remember this: Whether you eat and drink treats or not, be sure to continue brushing and flossing twice daily!
Alright! Let’s get into learning about the foods and drinks we should steer clear from after an extraction.
Frightening Foods to Avoid After a Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Horrifically Hot Foods
Following a wisdom tooth extraction, you should stay away from foods that are too hot. Eating hot food can lead to various infections, burn injuries, and dental irritation. Hot foods can also cause a dry socket by removing the clot that needs to form over the extraction site. When the clot moves away from the site, your gums, dental bone, and nerves become exposed to air and food. Consequently, that results in pain!
So, for a few days, stick to eating room temperature or even cold foods. These can include yogurt, ice cream, and apple sauce. And if you want cooked foods, it’s ok to have soup, mac and cheese, or mashed potatoes, as long as they are not too hot. Let them cool to warm or lukewarm temperatures before you eat.
Scary Spicy Foods
Similar to hot foods, spicy foods can also irritate the wisdom tooth extraction site and cause pain and possible infection. Overall, spices will irritate your mouth and slow the healing process. Just give yourself the proper time to heal and avoid any possible setbacks. Then, you can go back to enjoying the Thai, Cajun, Mexican, and other spicy food types you love!
Terrifyingly Tough Foods
We know how much you enjoy a good steak, roast, and pile of chicken wings. But after an extraction, you must avoid them. Trying to chew on tough meat and poultry is not only painful but can also impede the healing process. You may also want to remain cautious around raw fruits and veggies because many of them have tough roughage.
Instead, focus on eating more soft-cooked foods. Baked fish fillets and scrambled eggs are delicious sources of protein that also provide soft alternatives to meat that is tough to chew.
Horrendously Hard Candies and Crunchy Foods
Make sure to avoid having the munchies for a while! You don’t want to eat any kind of hard food or candy while your mouth is still healing from a wisdom tooth extraction. Hard or crunchy foods include everything from nuts, seeds, and raw veggies, to chips and candies. You’ll know right away that you’ll need to avoid hard crunchy foods as soon as you attempt to apply biting pressure. Not fun!
Even if you just let the food sit in your mouth and dissolve, you could experience pain and irritation because of swollen tender gums. So, when it comes to hard candies, nuts, chips, and popcorn, you’ll simply have to wait a week or two to enjoy them again.
Sinister Sticky Foods
Sticky foods like gummies, caramels, and toffees should be strictly avoided in the first several days after your tooth extraction. That means lay off the Halloween candies and treats to give your teeth the temporary break they need. The last thing you want is to have food stuck to your teeth and gums. Even worse, you don’t want to chew on anything near the extraction site. This could cause the clot to dislodge and you could develop dry socket and painful infection.
Overall, you’ll want to allow your body all the time it needs to properly heal. Remember, your gums and mouth need time to recover and return to normal after a dental extraction.
Devilish Drinks to Avoid
Before we share which drinks you should avoid, there is one important issue to address. Whatever you do, do not drink with straws after your extraction. Using straws can also increase the risk of developing a dry socket. So, follow your instructions and begin using straws only AFTER the oral surgeon gives the thumbs up!
Creepy Carbonated Drinks
Although oral surgeons recommend that you consume fluids after your extraction, they were not referring to fizzy bubbles! So, you’ll have to avoid carbonated beverages. Similar to spicy foods, carbonation in drinks can irritate the gums and extraction site to weaken the blood clot in your mouth.
Howling Hot Drinks
Yes, that hot cup of coffee or tea will have to wait on your healing. However, if you need the caffeine boost, consider drinking iced coffees, cold brew teas, and non-carbonated energy drinks. And instead of hot cocoa, go for a cold glass of chocolate milk for the time being.
Atrocious Alcohol Beverages
It is best to avoid alcohol for at least a few days, especially beer and spritzers, as they have both alcohol and carbonation. The reason why dental patients should avoid consuming alcohol is because of the medications that may interfere with it. Also, alcohol is a depressant and may impede your healing process. This is why it’s important to follow your oral surgeon aftercare instructions. They will usually tell you when you can resume consuming alcoholic beverages and what to watch for.
Consulting with OMSH
To ensure a successful healing and recovery process, you should stick to your aftercare instructions during your downtime. Avoiding certain foods and drinks after an extraction is paramount to your oral health and recovery. For more information or to schedule a consult, contact OMSH today or call us at 713-804-6055.
